Wake Up Potter
by NERC
Summary: Malfoy realises there is a lot more to The Golden Boy then he thought.


**AN: written for the quidditch league competition. Prompts: Harry and Draco and "Slice of life."**

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Potter.

Perfect, golden-boy Potter.

Is in the hospital wing not because he did something Gryffindor-ish.

The opposite in fact.

I never knew.

No one did.

Rule #1 of Slytherin have a mask and be able to recognize when others are wearing one.

Potter wore one.

I know that now.

Not I Slytherin knew.

Even though we all had masks and could – or thought we could – recognize them.

We didn't notice.

We didn't even suspect.

That Potter didn't have the Perfect pampered prince life Snape suggested.

Not close.

At all.

Potter.

Who never started anything but could always defend himself.

I never even considered the possibility that his home life was that bad.

He hid it from his friends.

His classmates.

Everyone.

He managed to make everyone believe he was okay.

Even people – like me - who are trained to see through lies like that.

We should have.

The reactions he gave to certain things.

The fact that he never started anything.

The fact that you could never find out anything about his home life.

Trust me I tried.

Mind you, I was looking for blackmail but I swear there was nothing about his life away from Hogwarts.

Potter wasn't my favorite person, in fact I used to hate him.

But I just can't.

Family isn't supposed to hurt family.

Given pure-bloods realize this.

They'd never hurt their children.

I mean I still don't like Potter.

But I have a new respect for him.

Had you told me that a year ago and potentially cursed you.

If you had told me a month ago, when I found out Potter had been injured, I would have called you insane and potentially cursed you.

If you had told me a month ago when I found out Potter had been injured, I would have called you insane and potentially curse you.

But 3 weeks ago when old Headmaster told us exactly why Potter was in the hospital wing.

That idea didn't seem so far-fetched.

And now it's reality.

Potter who I constantly attacked verbally and sometimes physically.

Potter who I teased.

Who I threatened.

Potter who'd been bullied his whole life in the muggle world.

Potter who'd been abused by his own family.

I did exactly the same thing as those filthy muggles.

And he never said anything.

Never hinted that anything was wrong.

Potter's a lot stronger than I gave him credit for.

I'll never like him.

But I can't bring myself to hate him.

Potter gained a fair bit of respect in Slytherin.

And only the fools say he doesn't deserve it.

The whole school's been affected by this.

The house of Gryffindoffs is a mess.

Granger is almost never in the library.

Weasel only pick at his food.

It's ridiculous, understandable by ridiculous.

I know Potter would want them to take care of themselves.

To not worry about him.

But I don't see that happening.

I never thought a lot of people actually talked to Potter.

But it seems everyone in this school somehow is affected on a personal level.

The professors are really distracted.

Potter.

Potter who's in the hospital wing.

Potter who was in the a coma.

Potter who I've just come to realize has a lot of secrets.

Because no one noticed.

No one noticed because he hid his scars under glamors.

No one noticed because he could help them enough to not hurt.

No one noticed because he didn't want anyone too.

Even the twin Weasels have stopped their pranks.

And Quidditch isn't anywhere near as fun.

Sure I win.

But because a muggle beat Potter into a coma.

It doesn't feel like a real win.

My housemates try to make me think otherwise.

But they never succeed.

I shut them up by telling them that if we counted it as a win, we'd be admitting that we need the help of a muggle to take out our competition.

They never tried to persuade my thoughts again.

Potter.

Youngest seeker in a century.

Potter who has been injured so many times and never complained.

Potter who was a really good component.

Potter who never said anything about pain.

Potter who had a really good mask.

Potter.

We should have noticed.

Not me.

I'm not his friend.

But his fiends should've noticed.

The teachers should've noticed.

Madam Pomfeny definitely should have noticed.

But they didn't.

None of them did.

But no they do.

Now that it's too late, they do.

But now he won't wake up.

He's not just knocked out after a quidditch match.

A coma.

I'm pretty sure some people saw Potter as invisible.

That whenever he got hurt he would spring back up and keep going.

That nothing faxed him. And now those ideas are shattered.

He's been out for over a month and it doesn't look like he's waking up anything soon.

Longbottom seems quite distressed.

I think he is scared Potter won't wake up and he'll end up having to visit his friend at St. Mango's like he does his parents.

Potter who taught a whole bunch of people defense last year.

Potter who never seemed to get scared.

Potter who faced every situation head on.

Potter with his saving people thing as I'd heard Granger put it.

Potter who has escaped the Dark Lord every time.

Potter the dark lord's biggest enemy excluding Dumbledore.

Potter, the Gryffindor gold boy.

Potter who really needed to wake up.

Every moment he was in that coma everyone was worrying about him.

Every moment they were worrying about him was one they weren't using to plan.

Every moment they wasted gave the dark lord an advantage.

The hospital wing is quiet.

I may not like mudbloods and blood traitors but I don't want war.

I sneak up to Potter's bed.

No one is here right now.

Pomfery just kicked them out by they'll be back in a few minutes.

I look at Potter's peaceful face.

He's completely oblivious to the war raging around him.

"Wake up Potter"

I whisper harshly before spinning on my heels and leaving the wing.

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**AN: Thanks for reading. **


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